Capping machine



Aug. 16, 1932. Sm mw24 CAPPING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1931 law/awe 7 /0557272,

' LAwnENcE IPIUS sINz, or HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, AssIeNoa 'roonowNf coax & SEAL COMPANY, INc., or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATIONor NEW,

Patented Aug. 16, 1932 nairsosmres PATENT oFFic-a:

YORK

oArrI e MACHINE Application filed June 24,

. the invention has been shown in the acconipanying drawing as appliedto the machine of the patent in substitution for the feed controlmechanism therein embodied.

In the drawing: 7 Figure 1 is an elevation of the lower end of thecapping head and its appurtenances.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, partly insection, as seen from the right of that figure, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view substantially on the sectional line 33 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 5 indicates generally thevertically reoiprocable head of the sealing machine, be-

. neath which crown caps are adapted to be delivered by means of chutes6and 7. As shown, the outer wall of each chute is com posed of spacedstrips which form trackways for the caps and between which, at'thedelivery end of the chutes, latch members are projectable to engage andcheck the feed of the caps in the chutes.

Brackets 8 and 9 are secured to the chutes adjacent their delivery endsand constitute V bearings for a rock shaft 10 which is'journaledtherein. Mounted on the rock shaft and oscillable relative thereto are apair of latches 11 and 12, of identical construction. Latch 12 is shownin detail in Figure 3,and

. will be particularly described, it being understood that thedescription applies equally to latch 11.

Referring then to Figure 3, the latch comprises a hub portion 13, a nose14, anda tail 15, the hub being provided with a here which receivesshaft 10. The hub portion is provided with an elongated radial slot 16in which is engaged an abutment member in the form of a pin 17 having athreaded shank engaged in a tapped radial bore in shaft 10. Pin 17prevents displacement of 1931. Serial No. 546,589.

the latch axially ofthe shaft, but permits its oscillation relative tothe shaft between the limits wherein the ends of the slot are engaged bythe pin. The latch-is provided with a bore 18- parallel to shaft 10 inwhich is e11 gaged the end of a torsion spring 19 which surrounds shaft10, the other end of spring 19 being integral through the-connectingportion 20 with one'end of a section'torsion spring 21 whose other endis engagedin'a bore similar to bore 18 in latch 11.- The connectingportion 20 ofthe two springs is engagedin an axially extending kerfformed in a lug 10 which projects radially of shaft 10 so that theadjacent ends of the spring are held against relative rotation to theshaft in either direction. Looking at Figure 3, the torsion springs tendto rotateth'elatches in a clockwise direction relative to the shaft, 10

such tendency'being'limited by; the abutment of the pins with the endsof the slots, pin 17 being thus yieldably held in engagement withthe'end 16 of slot 16.

' A crank arm 22 fixed to is connected through a telescoping link 23with a vertical rod 2a relative to which the head 5 is reciprocable.Link 23 comprises a lower cylinder portion 25 pivot-ed on the crank pin22 and an upper piston portion 26 having a head 26 pivoted to the rod 24by means of a pin 27, Figure 2. In Figures land 2, the link is shown inextended rela-' tion, this relation being assumed when the one endof'shaft 1O 4 76 head 5 is in its lowermost position. Upon upwardmovement of the head, abutment portions 25 and 26 of the link portionscome;

into abutment after a certain lost motion interval,'whereupon shaft '10is rocked through the intermediary of crank 22, positively osciltion toengage caps therein to check the feed thereof to the dotted lineposition in which the noses release the caps for feed.

through the outer walls of the chute in POSl- Itwill be noted fromFigure 2 that the lower end of cylinder portion 25 is provided with avent 25 in order that telescoping movements of the link parts may not beimpeded by compression or vacuum effects in the cylinder.

Fixed on shaft 10 at the opposite end from crank 22 is a crank arm 27having fixed thereto a pin 28 which is connected by means of a tensionspring 29 with a pin 30 projecting from a bracket element 31. Upondownward movement of head 5, abutment portions 25 and 26" eventuallymove apart allowing spring 29 to rock shaft 10 and thereby impositivelyoscillate the latches through the intermediary of the torsion springsfrom the dotted line position of Figure 3 to the full line position.lVhen this latter position is reached, further rocking of the shaft isprevented by the engagement of a lug 32 formed on the hub 33 of crankarm 27 with a foot portion of bracket 9. With the parts in thisposition, either of the latch-es may be oscillated through manualoperation of the latch tails so that the associated chute may becleared, the strength of the torsion springs being less than that ofspring 29 so that shaft 10 is not affected by the relative oscillationof the latches. The latches; are provided with oil holes 11 and 12 sothat they may be supplied with lubricant to ensure their free movementrelative to the shaft.

It will be understood that in actual practice nose 14, Figure 3, comesup beneath the leading cap in thechute, this cap having been omitted inorder not to interfere with the showing of the other parts.

The invention is capable of being embodied otherwise than asspecifically shown and described herein, and accordingly it will beunderstood that I donot limit myself except as in the following claims.

1. In a machine of the class described, a pluralityof chutes arrangedside by-side and having apertures adjacent their delivery ends, a rockshaft adjacent and beneath the delivery ends of the chutes and extendingtransversely of the chutes, a plurality of latches on said rock shaftand oscillable relativethereto, said latches having nose portionsadapted to extend through said chute V apertures in checking relation toclosure caps inthechutes and having tail portions manually operable tooscillate the latches independently of each other tomove the latch nosesout of checking relation to the caps, andconnecting means between theshaft and latches whereby rocking ofthe shaft causes simultaneousoscillation of the latches.

2; In a machine of, the class described, a plurality of chutes arrangedside by side and having apertures adjacent their delivery ends, aplurality of latches oscillable beneath said chutes and having nosesmovable upon oscillation of the latches from a position in which theyextend through the chute apere latches to cause engagement of saidcooperating abutment means, said latches being manually oscillableindependently of each other and of said shaft against the action of saidspring means to move the latch noses from cap engaging to cap releasingposition.

8. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of chutes arrangedside by side and having apertures adjacent their delivery ends, aplurality of latches oscillable beneath said chutes and having nosesmovable upon oscillation of the latches from a position in which theyextend through the chute aper- V tures to engage and check the feed ofclosure caps in the chute to a position in which they release the capsfor feed, said latches being provided with bores aligned transversely ofthe chutes, a rock shaft extending through said bores and supporting thelatches, cooperating abutment means on the shaft and latches wherebyrocking movement of the shaft in one direction is imparted to thelatches to move the latch noses simultaneously from cap engaging to capreleasing position, and spring means interposed between the shaft andlatches and influencing the latches to cause engagement of saidcooperating abutment means, rocking of the shaft in the other directionbeing transmitted to the latches through said spring means to move thelatch noses from cap releasing to cap engaging, position, said latchesbeing oscillable independently of each other and of said shaft againstthe action of said spring means tomove thelatch noses from cap engagingto cap: releasing position.

f. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of chutes arrangedside by side and having apertures adjacent their delivery ends, aplurality of latches oscillable beneath said chutes and having nosesmovable upon oscillation of the latches from a position in which theyextend through the chute apertures to engage and check the feed ofclosure caps in the chute to a position in which they release the capsfor feed, said latches being provided with bores aligned transversely ofthe chutes, a rock shaft extending through said bores and supporting thelatches, cooperating abutment means on the shaft and latches wherebyrocking movement of the shaft in one direction is iinpartedvto thelatches to move the latch noses simultaneously from cap engaging to capreleasing posi-' tion, and torslon springs surrounding the shaft withtheir ends respectively connected to the shaft and latches and acting tocause engagement of said cooperating abutment means, said latches beingmanually oscillable independently of each other and of said shaftagainst the action of said springs to move t ie latch noses from capengaging to cap releasing position.

5. In a machine of the class described,a plurality of chutes arrangedside by side and having apertures adjacent their delivery ends, aplurality of latches oscillable beneath said chutes and having nosesmovable upon oscillation of the latches from a position in which theyextendthrough the chute apertures to engage and check the feed ofclosure caps in the chute to a position in which they release the capsfor feed, said latches being provided with bores aligned transversely ofthe chutes, a rock shaft extending through said bores and supporting thelatches, said latches having hubs provided with elongated radial slots,abutment means on the shaft extending within the slots, and spring meansinterposed between the shaft and latches and influencing the latter tohold one end of their slots in abutment with their associated abutmentmeans, rocking of said shaft in one direction being simultaneouslytransmitted to the latches through the abutment means and slot ends tooscillate the latches and thereby move the latch noses from cap engagingto cap releasing position, said latches being manually oscillableindependently of each other and of said shaft against the action of saidspring means to move the latch nos-es from cap engaging to cap releasingposition.

6. In a machine of the class described, a pair of relativelyreciprocable members, a rock shaft carried by one of said members, acrank on said rock shaft, a telescoping link embodying cooperatingabutment means for limiting its collapse, said link constituting a lostmotion connection between said crank and the other of said members,spring means tending to rock said shaft in a direction to collapse saidlink, means limiting the roc ing of the shaft in such direction,relative movement of the two members in one direction causing eventualengagement of said abutment means and consequent rocking of said shaftagainst the action of said spring means, the spring means actlng toreturn the shaft upon relative movement of said members in the oppositedirection, and cap feed control means operated by said shaft.

7. In a machine of the class described, a closure cap feeding chutehaving an aperture adjacent its delivery end, a latch oscillable beneaththe delivery end of the chute and having a nose movable upon oscillationof the latch from a position in which 1t extends through the chuteaperture to engage latch nose from cap engaging to cap releasingposition.

8. In a machine of the class described, a closure cap feeding chutehaving an aperture adjacent its delivery end, a latch oscillable beneaththe delivery end of the chute and having a nose movable upon oscillationofthe latch from a position in which it ea tends through the chuteaperture to engage and check the feed of caps in the chute to a positionin which it releases the caps for feed, a rock shaft extendingtransversely of the chute and through a bore provided in said latch,cooperating abutment means on the shaft and latch whereby rockingmovement if the shaft in one direction is imparted to the latch to movethe latch nose from cap engagingto cap releasing position, and springmeans influencing the latch to cause engagementof said cooperatingabutment means, said latch being manually oscillable relative to theshaft against the force of said spring means to move the latch nose fromcap engaging to cap releasing position;

In a machine of the class described, a closure cap feeding chute havingan aperture adjacent its delivery end, a latch oscillable beneath thedelivery end of the chute and 7 having a nose movable upon oscillationof the terposed between the shaft and latch to cause engagement of saidcooperating abutment means, said latch being manually oscillablerelative to the shaft against the force of said spring means to move thelatch nose from cap engaging to cap releasing position.

10. Control means for the closure cap feed of capping machines, saidmeans comprising a rock shaft, a latch having a hub portion traversed bysaid rock shaft, said hub being provided with an elongated radial slot,a pin on said rock shaft engaged in said slot, said latch beingoscillable relative to the shaft between limit positions in which thepin engages the slot ends, and a spring interposed between the shaft andlatch and normally yieldably holding one of the slot ends in engagementwith said pin.

11 testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

LAWRENCE PIUS SINZ.

